Soap-cutting machine.



No. 628,507. Patentedluly II, I899.

' W. W. WILLIAMS.

SOAP CUTTING MACHINE.

. I (Application filed Kay 18, 1898.

( No Model.)

No. 628,507. I Patented luly ll, I899.

W. W. WILLIAMS.

SOAP CUTTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Kay 13, 1898. Nu Model.) 5 Sheats-Sheat 2.

Witnesses: I '7 No. 628,507. Patented July II, I899.

(Application filed May 13, 1895.

@No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

m: uonms vncns co. Punrou'rna. WASHINGTON, u. c.

No.628,507.. Patented July |a99.'

w. w. WILLIAM-S.

SOAP cuTTme MACHINE.

(Application filed Kay 13, 1898 1 (No Model.) 5 Shoets$heal 4.

No. 628,507. Patented July ll, I899.

w. w. wlLLlAuis.

- SOAP CUTTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Kay 13, 1898.)

(lo Model.) I 5 Shasta-Sheet 5.

716 772 GJJJJ :Zhuentbr',

' v madam? WzZZL an w WM 7 k4 .m M 7 7 IHE- NORRIS PETERS CO PHOTO-Ll HO" WASNINGTON. D- C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM V. lVILLIAMS, OF'INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

SOAP-CUTTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,507, dated July 1 1, 1899.

- Application filed May 13 1898. $erial No. 680,558. (No model.)

To alt w/wm it may concern:

Be it known that LWILLIAM W. WILLIAMs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State 7 of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Soap-Cutting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved machine for cutting slabs of soap first into bars and then into cakes and for depositing the cakes from the machine onto a table, from which they can be removed while the machine is cutting up the next slab.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine by which the several operations can be performed under the control of a single attendant and without undue effort on his part.

Another object of the invention is to-provide new and improved means whereby when a starting and stopping lever is actuated a slab of soap placed on the machine is caused to advance against a series of cutting wires for cutting the slab into bars and is then automatically stopped in its progress in that direction and caused to move at right angles against a second series of wires, which cut the bars into cakes, which operations will be successively repeated until the machine is disconnected by the stopping lever from the driving mechanism.

To accomplish these objects, my invention involves the features of construction, the 00111- bination or arrangement of parts,and the principles of operation hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of my machine with the movable portions in the positions assumed by them at the end of the operation of cutting the slab of soap into bars and previous to cut ting it into cakes. Fig. 2 is a side elevation looking in the direction of the arrow 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end elevation looking in the directionof the arrow 3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail in perspective of the driving-pulleys and belt-shifting mechanism employed in operating my machine. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a modified machine in which the soap-p ushers are moved by crank-operatedshafts.

Similar letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the together by the transverse pieces B, to the inner one of which a pusher-bar B is remov ably secured.

B are rack-bars, which are bolted to the under sides of the beams B.

The two posts at one end of the table have the upper extensions A which form supports for the removable frame 0, which frame has a plurality of equidistant vertical wires 0 stretched from one side to the other in the usual manner to form cutters for dividingthe slab of soap when the latter is'pressed against them by the pusher B in the manner as here inafter more fully described.

At the. same end of the frame A which has the projected post-tops A is arranged at right anglesthereto an auxiliary frame D, which has the slotted table D on the same level as the table A, the said slotsshown at (I being longitudinally of the table and at right angles to table A. They are grooved in thesame manner as those in the table A to receive a pairof tongued slides D These slides are framed together by the transverse bars D and D and t0 the inner bar D a pusher-bar D is removablysecured in the same manner as described for the bar B The slides D have the under side rack-bars (1 At the junction of the inner edge of the table D with the table A is a post E and between it and the post extension A is a removably-secured frame E, having a plurality of vertical wires 6, which form soap-cutters to cut the slab of soap which will be pushed against them by the pusher-bar D. In practice the slab of soapto be cut is placed on the table D and is cut into bars by being pushed through the wires by the pusher D The bars of soap are deposited on the table A in a J and J truck or a belt-conveyer may be placed in the position occupied by the table extension F to facilitate removal without handling the cakes of soap.

I will now describe the mechanism by which the pushers B and D are made to operate on the soap at the required intervals.

G is a shaft mounted on suitable hangers below the table D. It has the cog-wheels g, which engage the teeth of the rack-bars d. The shaft G is transverse to the table D. H is a shaft which is transverse to the table A and is supported by hangers from the under side of the table in the position shown in the drawings. ThisshaftHhasthecogged wheels h, the teeth of which engage the teeth of the rack-bars B The shaft I-I'has the small miter-gear H, the teeth of which mesh with the teeth of a larger miter gear-wheel G on the adjacent endof the shaft G. By this means the rotation of either shaft G or H will cause both of the shafts to rotate, and their relative speeds are adjusted by means of the varying sizes of the miter or bevel wheels G2 and H to cause the pusher B? to begin its work after the pusher D has finished and move back out of the way before the next lot of soap is ready to be pushed through the cutting-wires onto the table A by the pusher D The shaft H has the large spur gear-wheel H I is a short shaft parallel with the shaft H, one end of which is supported in a box secured tothe frame A and the other or outer end by a bracket I, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4:; A pinion H is mounted on the shaft I and engages the cogs of the wheel H Mounted on the shaft also is the live pulley J, and on each side of it are dead or loose pulleys These pulleys are connected by a straight belt K and a crossed belt K with a pulley K here shown as being located above the shaft I, but which obviously might be located below. This pulley K is driven from any suitable source of power. (Not shown.)

L is a belt-shifter consisting of a longitu dinally-reciprocating rod parallel with the shaft I, having the transverse arms L at its inner end between the straight and crossed belts, the said arms having the shifter-loops Zand Z the former to engage the straight belt and the latter to engage the crossed belt.

Projected above the shaft I from the outerend of the bracket 1 is the standard 1*, which has the arms I intermediate of its length, projected laterallytoward the pulleys. These arms terminate with the cross-bar I", the ends of which extend out past the rim of the pulleys and are provided with the lateral integral round bars 1', which form slides for the arms L of the belt-shifter, the ends of the arms Ii having eyes through which the bars p V f t are projected. Projected up from the bar I at a suitable distance from the standard I is a second standard I The standards I and I have openings to receive the reciprocating shifter-rod L and guide it in its movements. The outer end of the reciprocating rod I. has the lateral horizontal arm M,which lies in the path of and. is between the two arms D and D The two bars are in the same horizontal plane and are fastened to and move back and forth with the slides D The arm D is a continuation of the framingbar D but the arm D is set in advance of any part of the slides D by means of the plate D and the arm D in the manner as shown. Other means for supporting the two arms D and D from the slides D in position to shift the arm M maybe provided without departing from the spirit of this invention.

The operation of my improved soap-cutting machine is as follows: The machine being in the position shown in Fig. 3 with the pusher D at the outer end of its travel is supplied with a slab of soap, which is placed by the attendant on the table in front of the pusher. The machine is started by the attendant and the pusher moves in, pushing the slab of soap ahead of it, and cuts the slab into bars by pushing it through the row of wires in its path. The pusher is notched to enable it to follow the soap past the wires and push it off onto the table A. At the beginning of the operation just described the pusher B was next to the frame 0, but begins to move back at twice the speed of the approaching pusher D and is at its extreme outer position when the slab cut into bars is delivered on the table A. As the pusher D approaches its maximum inward position the attached arm D contacts with the arm M and moves the beltshifter in a direction to shift the belts and reverse the direction of movement of the pulley-shaft I. The direction of movement of the whole mechanism of the machine isthus automaticallyreversed. ThepusherD moves out to its first position, while the pusher B advances rapidly toward the soap bars and pushes them through the frame 0, whereby they are cut into cakes by the wires 0 and are deposited onto the outside table. At the proper moment in this lastmovement the arm D contacts with the belt-shifter arm M, reversing the movement and causing the mechanism to begin over again the movement as first described.

- The above-described. operation of the machine is automatic and continuous and only requires an attendant to supply the slabs of soap and to remove the cut product. The removal can be accomplished by means of a belt, if desired, onto which the cut soap will be deposited.

The dimensions of the slab otsoap in length should be approximately equal to half of the length-of the travel of the longer traveling pusher-bar and in width approximately equal to half of the length of the travel of the shorter traveling pusher-bar to allow time for the pusher-bars to get out of each others way.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5 the ma chine is driven by a single crank by hand where the amount of work done does not justify the use of steam or other power. In this 2 and also the beams 52 have under side rack-bars 3 2 is a shaft mounted underneath the beams 2 and transversely to them and having the cog-wheels 2=-, (shown in dotted lines,) which engage the teeth of the rackbars. Mounted under and transversely to the beams 2 is the shaft 2", having the cogwheels 2 which engage the teeth of the rackbars under the beams 2. The shafts 2 and 2 are connected by the miter-gears Z and 2 the latter being one-half the diameter of the former, as described for the machine shown in the other drawings. The shaft 2 has the crank 2 bywhich operative power is applied to the mechanism above described.

N and 0 represent guideways to direct the waste particles which are trimmed 01f of the slab.

I claim 1. In a soap-cutting machine, a pair of tables at right angles to each other, sliding beams having longitudinally-reciprocating movement at right angles to each other and having under side rack-bars, pusher-bars secured to the upper sides of the sliding beams, a pair of transverse shafts one under each table each having cogged wheelswhich engage the rack-bars, bevel-gears on the adjacent ends of the shafts whereby the shafts are geared together, one of said gear-wheels being twice the diameter of the other or over and means for revolubly moving one of the shafts and for reversing the direction of its movement substantially as described and specified, and wires for cutting the soap.

2. In a soap-cutting machine, a table on which the slab of soap is placed and cut, a pair of reciprocating pushers traveling in paths at right angles to each other and connected with rack-bars, a pair of shafts transverse to the rack-bars and having cogged wheels to engage the teeth on said bars, bevel gear-wheels on adjacent ends of said shafts whereby the shafts are geared together,means for rotating one of the shafts and for automatically reversing the direction of rotation when the pushers are at the ends of their strokes and vertical wires fixed in series across the paths of the pushers to cut the soap which is pushed against them, all substantially as described and specified.

3. In a soap-cutting machine, the combination with a pair of tables placed with the end of one against the side of the other, a frame provided with vertical cutter-wires placed at the meeting line between the two tables, a slidable pusher guided over the first table and movable toward and from the cutterframe, a second cutter-frame having vertical wires and arranged at the end of the second table adjacent to and at right angles to the first cutter-frame and a second slidable pusher guided to play longitudinally of the second table toward and from the second cutterframe, means for connecting the two slidable pushers whereby the movement of either toward its cutter-frame will cause the other pusher to move away from its cutter-frame and vice versa, said means consisting of rackbars secured to the under side of each pusherframe, a pair of shafts mounted at right angles to each other below the rack-bars and having cogged wheels to engage said rackbars, the ad jacent'ends of the said shafts being geared together, of a driving-belt connected with one of the above -mentioned shafts, and automatic belt-shifting mechanism to reverse the direction of movement of the machine and prevent breaking the cutting-wires by contact therewith of the slidable pushers, substantially as described and for the purposes specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 9th day of May, A. D. 1898.

WILLIAM W. WILLIAMS. [L.S.]

\Vitnesses:

JOSEPH A. MINTURN, CARL SCHLEGEL. 

